Photocatalytic properties of glass ceramics containing anatase-type TiO2

Glass ceramics were prepared by heat-treating 20P(2)O(5)-75TiO(2)-2Al(2)O(3)-3(Na2O, MgO) (mol%) glasses at temperatures between 700 degrees C and 900 degrees C for 4 h and their photocatalytic activity was investigated. Anatase-type TiO2 crystals as the only or main crystalline phase were precipitated with a mean size in the range of 20-70 nm. The glass ceramics efficiently decomposed methylene blue (MB) under UV irradiation and the decomposition ability increased with an increase of the anatase crystalline phase content. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.